So everyone knows I love Tesla (both the company and the cars and soon semi-trucks that it produces). Every time I step into an internal combustion engine car, I cringe. I can’t handle it. It’s just slow, dumb, and immature. I deserve better. We all do. Case in point: I took my car in to put on winter tires and they gave me a loaner. A BMW. It was a real loner and loser when I got into it. Too many buttons. Too slow. Can’t figure out where the damn volume button is. Couldn’t figure out how to turn it on or off. Too loud. It just sucked. Maybe I’m spoiled on S.A.M.? But who cares? We should ALL be. With the affordable Model 3 coming out (late 2018 / early 2019 at the earliest), we can all experience what I experience with my Model S. An amazingly comfortable, fast, quiet, high-tech car. You deserve it. Forget test driving. Just take my word for it. Once you go Tesla, you’ll never accept anything else. Everything else is crap! Sorry, but that’s my opinion.

So in case you weren’t convinced about the mileage, speed, and sheer amazing technology that Tesla incorporates into its cars, Tesla just unveiled its new Roadster. You should start saving up, because this bad boy is going to be over $300k! Is it worth it? I think so. The base model can go 0-60MPH in 1.9 seconds. It’s 200KWH battery (mine is 85) will be able to go over 1,000 KM on a single charge. And its top speed will be over 250+ MPH (that’s over 400KM per Hour!). It will be fully autonomous. It will seat 2 up front and 2 smaller kids in the back. Ample truck / frunk space for a sports car like that. It was designed by the same guy that came out with all of Tesla’s other beautiful cars (conservative, but packed with tech and power):

Oh man….

Now here’s the interesting thing. Tesla is ALREADY the fastest production car RIGHT NOW. The P100D Model S can and has outrun every other type of production car in the world with it’s 0-100KPH in 2.7 seconds. It goes about 507KM on a charge (if you get the non performance version of this car, it can go further because it has a smaller electric motor in the front than the performance version). And it seats up to 7 (yes 7) if you include the rear facing child seats in the back.

But let’s not talk just about specs. Fact and figures. Bells and whistles. Think about this: when I get into a Tesla, I feel like I’m a better person. I am empowered. I can weave in and out of traffic and get to an exit or entrance with the touch of the accelerator. That I can conveniently listen to any music of my choice, while checking out the large screen map of where I’m heading AND all the while have S.A.M. stay in its lane and adjust its speed to the traffic while I’m on the highway. It’s that feeling of awesomeness. It’s so quiet and so powerful. I love that feeling. It’s addictive. You should feel it too. It’ll put a smile on your face 😉

It’s a new age people! And I’m so very excited to share this awesome video with you. Dubbed the World’s Greatest Drag Race, it features 12 of the world’s best supercars / sports cars in an epic quarter-mile sprint for glory. Just cut the fluff and start watching from 3:00 minutes in. They’ll introduce these beautiful beasts and then away they go! All I can say is… it’s such a great video and cudos to the winner!

It’s been over a year since I started driving S.A.M. (my Tesla Model S 85D). And here’s what I can tell you: the nostalgia hasn’t worn off. I’m still amazed at the car, the performance, the technology, and the people / business behind it. They make me look forward to stepping inside that car each and every day and here’s why:

They’re changing the world: they want everyone driving electric to reduce our overall carbon footprint. That’s why, in about 2 years’ time, they’ll be selling the Model 3. I asked a Tesla employee today about the cost of one here in Canada – fully loaded – and they said it could (with all options) likely come in around $90k if our dollar continues to suck vis-a-vis the American dollar. You could, of course, get a basic single motor version in the $40k range with no options… but where’s the fun in that? The company also has a vision: by combining solar power roofing with their automotive manufacturing, they really want to bring alternative energy to the forefront. It takes guts. I hope it makes good business sense in the long run!

They are creating exponential businesses within their business: they recently combined Solar City (of which Musk is involved in) with Tesla to offer more alternative / sustainable energy options to the world; plus, it’s great if you want to charge your Tesla with solar energy. They are developing self-driving capability to eventually ‘rent out’ their cars – Uber style. They have developed a new type of glass for their cars – which can be one single pane of glass and which will eventually incorporate solar panels for charging. By the way, if you haven’t read Exponential Organizations just yet, it’s a great read.

They’re committed to continual improvement: I just received yet another update that enhances autopilot, the map app and infotainment app, and regenerative braking (to name a few things). This is in addition to all the other improvements they’ve made over the past year, including: introducing auto-pilot, auto-park, summon, etc. It seems like my car is getting better with age, not worse!

Yes, they’re still expensive: when I got my car, the Canadian dollar was heading down to $0.85 CAD, which wasn’t bad, but I could see the writing on the wall. The Canadian dollar has tanked since then and that has made these American-made cars expensive. My car is worth more today in CAD then when I got it! Even today, the base price for all their cars went up by USD2k. And they also made supercharging no longer free after this year (you get a set amount initially of charging, after which you’ll need to pay – but it will still be cheaper than gas). I asked an employee today about how much their top of the line Model S would be (that’s the P100D with Ludicrous Upgrade). $200k he said. Wow! Now it’s entering Supercar (Lambo, Ferrari, McLaren, etc.) territory.

They are Fast + Sexy + Tech Savvy + Practical: what other car do you know could go from 0-100 km in 2.7 seconds, carry up to 7 passengers, have loads of cargo space, and have a state of the art technology (be it infotainment or autopilot)?

AUTONOMOUS DRIVING!!!! So my car has one forward facing camera, uses GPS, sonar, radar, and has a bunch of sensors around the car. It has an autopilot system that keeps the car in its lane and, coupled with traffic aware cruise control, is all very cool. The new versions of my car have 8 cameras around the car, plus a super-computer and more sensors around the car. It is capable of LEVEL 5 (out of 5 levels, by the way) fully autonomous driving, parking, etc. Tesla put up a video showing the car’s capability on their website. Heck, at one point, the driver exits the car and and the car then parks itself. Crazy cool! And it’s supposed to be safer than a human driver. What do I think? I trust my autopilot now about 90% of the time; it’s the other drivers who I don’t trust (particularly trucks who may / may not see me when I turn into a lane beside them).

Can I Drive Long Distances? I’ve been to Ottawa, North Bay, Hamilton, Niagara, etc. with my car without fear of running out of juice. I still complain that Ottawa doesn’t have a proper Tesla Supercharging station, but I end up staying at a hotel with a 220V charging station (like the one in my garage), so it’s not a big deal.

They Know How To Brand. A brand is the personification of a product / service. They sell a car. Their car is different in that it is essentially operated by batteries, a motor or two, and has a computer with some wheels. But when you step back and think about their branding, they want you to become a better version of yourself by having this car. You’re better because the cabin is quieter so you can hear yourself. The infotainment system can play whatever you want to hear. The performance is there so you can get to where you want to be – even if that means weaving in and out of traffic with your instant acceleration and torque. You can be more comfortable before you step in the car – it will know your calendar and destination and have pre-selected temperature and infotainment waiting for you. You can park almost wherever you want – it can park for you or you can summon it into a tight spot! It also looks sexy and improves over time with over-the-air updates. The autopilot convenience features makes it easier for you to relax while driving. Eventually, you won’t need to drive at all! Bottom line: it’s all about empowering you to be a better version of yourself.

They don’t spend on marketing. I’ve never seen a commercial or ad. All of their customers come from word of mouth. They don’t have customers. They have ‘raving fans’. They take care of them because they are the company’s best salesforce (same thing with most businesses).

They’re Fighters. A lot of people have been betting against them – like established gas guzzling car manufacturers / distributors. They still take a lot of heat from B.S. lobbyists and politicians who don’t let them sell in certain states because they cut out the dealership middle man (as they should!). They get criticized for promising the moon and delivering the earth. They get blamed for merging with Solar City (which may / may not be the best financial move, but it does bring their vision / resources under one ‘solar paneled’ roof 😉 And because they were brave enough to go against all of the nay say-ers (remind you of anyone?), I’m proud of them and proud to tell people to go out and get a Tesla. I believe in the company and their products and services. I love their story, their leadership and I will always be a raving fan of theirs. I’ll never buy another internal combustion engine car from anyone; and because of what Tesla did, I may never buy another car from anyone other than Tesla. God Bless Tesla!

I previously wrote this article about Tesla Motors and S.A.M. and what dentists can learn from this amazing company (introduced to me by Dr. Hans Viergever). Well, today, I was fortunate enough today to show off S.A.M. to Pat Foran of CTV News. Here’s the episode:

HER NAME IS S.A.M.

He’s did a show today about autonomous vehicles and wanted to see one in action. So CTV News dropped by the office and we went for a spin around the area. We talked about the basics (what kind of car is it, why did I get it, what can it do, etc.). I showcased autopilot on city streets and on highways and self-parking and then he took S.A.M. for a spin. The show aired tonight across Canada on CTV News.

Autonomous driving is a very popular topic right now. After having read a lot of articles and watched a lot of videos, here’s what I know:

There are 5 Levels of autonomous driving, which were established by SAE International’s On Road Automated Vehicle Standards Committee. You can read more about it HERE. Bottom line: as of the time of writing this blog post, S.A.M. is at a Level 2out of 5 with all of its auto-pilot features (e.g. traffic aware cruise control, lane keeping, self parking, summoning, etc.).

Ontario just passed a new set of regulations (effective January 1, 2016) that governs a pilot project involving vehicles which achieve Levels 3, 4, or 5, their drivers, and the companies who make them. S.A.M. is regulated by the current laws / regulations that exist.

Traditional car manufacturers (e.g. Mercedes, Volvo, Ford, etc.), new startups (e.g. Tesla, Faraday Future, etc.) and soon-to-be in the auto industry (e.g. Google and Apple) are ramping up their software and hardware technology to introduce fully autonomous vehicles on our roads within the next 2-5 years. The auto industry will change more in the next 5 years than it has in the last 50.

Electric cars that are fully automated will help increase productivity, reduce crashes / fatalities, lower carbon emissions, and allow individuals to stay connected even while they are being driven to their next destination. The only negative: the gasoline industry and traditional car companies and their suppliers will suffer…

Electric cars are way better than regular gas-guzzling cars. They receive over the air updates (e.g. to offer new convenience features, increase security, enhance performance, etc.). Yes, you read that last part correctly: software updates have made Tesla cars accelerate faster and there’s even a ‘launch’ mode for quickest acceleration. If you plug your car in overnight at your home, you will end up with a full tank every morning at a fraction of the cost you would have paid to fill it with gas. S.A.M. goes up to 450 km on a full charge. I can also stop off during a long-distance trip to a supercharger and charge for free in 30 minutes or less; just the right time to stretch and grab a coffee.

Sales of electric cars represent a very tiny fraction of overall car sales (think way less than 1%). So the industry is perfect for disrupting.

New business models will develop as a result of the right of electric and autonomous vehicles. The coolest idea came from Tesla and Faraday Future: what if you subscribed to a car-renting program? You may not even own the car. Just have it pick you up and drop you off where you need to go. Perhaps you pay a monthly fee for access or do it on a per trip basis (think: Uber). Why do we exactly need to OWN our car? Why can’t we just have one car (from an entire fleet of available cars) pick us up and drop us off when we need it? And we can then personalize the experience once we’re in the autonomous vehicle by connecting our phones, etc. and using the car’s apps to make calls, send emails, surf the web, etc.

This is the evolution of the Internet of Things (or how we’re going to be more connected with our phones, computers, cars, tablets, watches, etc.). We used to pull out a map to see how to get where we wanted to go. Then we used Google Maps and we’d print out everything. Then we’d start using our phones. And then our cars offered onboard navigation systems. And now with S.A.M., there’s Google Maps combined with fleet learning. Since my iphone calendar syncs with S.A.M., she knows where I’m going when I first step inside. Then I’m presented with real time data concerning my route, whether there’s a better alternative elsewhere, what time I’ll arrive and how many km it will take me to get there. And it’s VERY accurate. So what’s next? How about this: your car will know your schedule, where you are geographically located at all times (based on your phone’s location) and be ready and fully charged to pick you up (it will even charge itself at a Tesla public charging station using a robotic charging arm!) just by you saying a specific command into your iphone watch. CRAZY! But it’s going to happen.

We are at the early stages of all of this. It will take anywhere from 2-5 years before this is more mainstream. It’s best to lease a car with these new features because the hardware and software will only get better over time.

Competition in this industry is good. Everyone’s racing to get our hard earned dollars by offering the fastest, coolest, most connected cars out there. We need all the major automobile manufacturers to compete in this field: fully electric and autonomous vehicles. This will bring about huge change in the industry. And we have 1 person to thank for that: Elon Musk of Tesla Motors. Thank you Elon!

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David Mayzel is your legal risk manager. He is a trained courtroom lawyer and has spent many years resolving disputes both in and out of court. He knows how to prepare documents and execute transactions in a way that avoids or mitigates legal risks. He can be reached at 416.528.5280. or david@dentistlawyers.ca.

Michael Carabash is your business law adviser. He is an entrepreneur at heart who helps you see the big legal picture. He drafts clear and effective agreements that protect your rights while promoting your interests. He can be reached at 647.680.9530. or michael@dentistlawyers.ca.

Ljubica Durlovska is your transition lawyer. She helps you with staff and associates, maintaining your corporation, and other business matters. She can be reached at 416.443.9280, extension 206 or ljubica@dentistlawyers.ca.

Jonathan Borrelli is your employment lawyer. He helps you with staff and associates matters, including hirings, terminations, switching staff to written contracts and resolving disputes. He can be reached at 416.443.9280, extension 204 or jonathan@dentistlawyers.ca.

Benjamin Kong is an experienced business law clerk. He assists David and Michael with corporate matters and purchase / sale transactions. He can be reached at 416.443.9280, extension 207 or benjamin@dentistlawyers.ca.

Julie Whitehouse is an experienced business law clerk. She assists David and Michael with corporate matters and purchase / sale transactions. She can be reached at 416.443.9280, extension 203 or julie@dentistlawyers.ca.

David, Michael, Ljubica, Jonathan, Ben and Julie are a truly dynamic team. Their diverse knowledge, skills, and experiences will help you get the best deal possible while promoting your interests and protecting your rights. You can read dentist testimonials here.